# Murkrow Draws



## Murkrow (Nov 26, 2013)

Spoiler: I have a habit of starting threads with an explaination because I feel the need to justify myself



If you follow me in the grr thread which you either do and think I'm a complainer or don't and don't care (and maybe think I'm a complainer anyway), you'll know that I often moan about how I'm useless and never do anything to improve myself and how I wish I could draw but I can't and I don't like practicing because I'm no good.
You might also remember this thread. Well I still don't have a mouse so the things I post here are still done on a laptop touchpad thingy. Though if I get amazon gift vouchers for Christmas I may invest in a tablet as there's not much else I'd want from amazon.

Well anyway I'm making this thread >:(
I know the forums aren't very active but my hope is that making this thread will guilt me into practicing my drawing. Of course if that fails I'll look like even more of a loser and people here will hate me even more.


I want to aim to post something maybe once a week.
While I want to draw humans eventually I'll probably start out with easy Pokémon.

I'd really appreciate it if anyone could tell me how I could improve. I'll try to draw things you suggest if you think it'll help me.
I know there won't be much to point out at first if I'm drawing things as easy as the things I am in this post, but I guess if there's anything fundamental I'm doing wrong you can pick up on that?


Here's my first drawings!
Nothing much, the only way I could've made it easier for myself was if I drew Voltorb.
Magnemite
Munna


I have a couple of drawings from a few months ago which I'll be posting in December.

Oh, and I used to play DrawSomething a lot but everyone I used to play with stopped so I don't any more. Here are some things I drew there. (If anyone still plays it and wants to play with me, PM me!)


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## Equinoxe (Nov 26, 2013)

First of all: yeah you can do this! 
It's really cool that you're this determined even though all you have is a touchpad. C:

I'd say your stuff is pretty good considering what you're using. You've managed to make surprisingly steady lines and that Magnemite is really adorable :D

If you want improvement tips, I guess the first simple things that come to mind are a) slowly making your way toward more complex critters and b) trying out some shading. 
Drawing more stuff is what will make you better over time, especially if you always try out something a little harder.

If you want to make drawing smooth lines a little easier, I suggest maybe using Paint Tool SAI? 
It has really cool stabilizing option (i.e. it smooths out the lines after you've drawn them), plus, if you use a linework layer, all the lines have vector points that you can drag around after you've drawn something. 
It might be a good option, since the touchpad has a tendency to make everything kinda wavy and scribbly. SAI is also really fun to use, so there's that, too. :B

I dunno, that's just my two cents. Hopefully I could be of some kinda help!
Keep up the good work and have fun drawing! C:


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## kyeugh (Nov 26, 2013)

Equinoixe really covered it all, but I was just going to tell you that despite using that little touchpad, you came up with some adorable stuff.  I like it, touchpad or not.  You definitely have skill and potential; I'm excited to see what'll happen if you end up getting a tablet!


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## Karousever (Nov 26, 2013)

I have no drawing advice whatsoever (I'm sorry) but I did want to say that I agree, that magnemite is absolutely adorable and I love it. And it's super impressive considering you're just using a touchpad!


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## Murkrow (Nov 27, 2013)

Thanks for the posts! I really wasn't expecting many replies, especially due to inactivity.

I've also done another drawing today.
Clefairy!
Not as good as the other two. Especially the arms. I'm not good at working out how things are meant to curve.

If I don't post for a while (like if I posted last and I don't like double posting all that much especially in my own threads) I'm uploading these to a tumblr. Probably not the best site for that kind of thing but I'm familiar with the interface I guess.



Equinoxe said:


> First of all: yeah you can do this!
> It's really cool that you're this determined even though all you have is a touchpad. C:
> 
> I'd say your stuff is pretty good considering what you're using. You've managed to make surprisingly steady lines and that Magnemite is really adorable :D
> ...


If I were _that_ determined I'd've made a thread ages ago :P
The lines are only as steady as they are because of all of the ctrl+zing I did and constantly changing between the brush and erase tools.

I did think about shading but I figured it'd be better to improve at doing the lines first? If I draw on paper that's what I struggle with most and I never even get around to colouring because I'm always dissatisfied with the outline. I'll start by trying to shade a Voltorb or something then, see how that works out.

How would you suggest shading? I've been using GIMP this far, not sure what the best kind of tool to use would be.
I hadn't heard of SAI before. I'll look into it but I'm already considering buying a tablet. Out of the two I think the tablet would be better in the long run. Although I could be wrong considering I've used neither.


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## Karousever (Nov 27, 2013)

Oh that Clefairy is just lovely. I'd put it right behind the Magnemite, honestly. And my only thing with the arms, is in my opinion they seem...too big? Though I'm no Clefairy expert, of course. But no really I really like the Clefairy drawing.


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## kyeugh (Nov 27, 2013)

I use a tablet and GIMP, so. I haven't heard of SAI either, but tablets work pretty well. 

Also, yeah. The arms are a bit large, but other than that, it's great.


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## shy ♡ (Nov 27, 2013)

Hey, a really important thing you might be forgetting is drawing on paper! There's no limits with like, mouses or tablets there, you can just carry around a notebook or if you're in school, doodle in papers in class (if you're not yelled at). The key to learning is basically drawing A LOT so carrying around paper/notebooks and doodling is basically the fastest way to look.

Then if you learn faster, you'll probably feel better about investing in a tablet! If you want to, I recommend a monoprice tablet - they're VERY cheap, much more than wacoms, and definitely just as good (or better depending on the wacom you're getting). c:

Anyhow, your arts so far are very good! I think you'll improve fast because you know what you're doing intellectually and you just need like, the muscle memory sort of??? c: Good luck!! Don't give up drawing is super fun!


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## ultraviolet (Nov 28, 2013)

Gonna agree with Pathos here! Honestly even with inking and stuff, it's often way easier to just draw stuff on paper, make lineart, and then scan them in. SAI's stabilizer is handy, but I don't think it's particularly worth getting a whole program over. 

That being said, your drawings are super cute!! Keep going!


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## Murkrow (Nov 30, 2013)

Thanks for the more replies, I really appreciate it.


Since my last post I've drawn a Finneon and a Haunter. I don't think these are quite as good as the ones I've already posted. Finneon's underside looks a bit too fat, and Haunter looks like it's missing nostrils even though it's not supposed to have nostrils.

Oh, and there is a thing I posted in the dreams thread a few months ago, I think I vectored it a bit to make the lines smoother. And the shiny bits in their hair is the extent of how much I can do shading. (This isn't the thing I mentioned in the OP that I did a few months ago)


jaketiger1116 said:


> And my only thing with the arms, is in my opinion they seem...too big?


Yeah that was my main problem with it too but at first I thought they were too long but making them shorter made them look too fat and making them thinner made them look worse than how they started :(


pathos said:


> Hey, a really important thing you might be forgetting is drawing on paper! There's no limits with like, mouses or tablets there, you can just carry around a notebook or if you're in school, doodle in papers in class (if you're not yelled at). The key to learning is basically drawing A LOT so carrying around paper/notebooks and doodling is basically the fastest way to look.
> 
> Then if you learn faster, you'll probably feel better about investing in a tablet! If you want to, I recommend a monoprice tablet - they're VERY cheap, much more than wacoms, and definitely just as good (or better depending on the wacom you're getting). c:


I've never really felt comfortable drawing on paper :(
My reason excuse is that I just feel embarrassed when I do. I can't explain why, I even feel that way when nobody's around. It's the sort of embarrassment you get when you're ten and a parent sees you drawing and says how amazing the drawing is let's put it on the fridge when you're done.
I wouldn't draw in classes anyway because it just seems rude to the teacher. That said there are a couple of doodles in my book because I was trying to keep myself awake, but those have comments written next to them like "not to scale", "(supposed to be a duck)"

The tablet I was looking at getting was actually a monoprice one! This is the one is the one I'm thinking about at the moment.


> Anyhow, your arts so far are very good! I think you'll improve fast because you know what you're doing intellectually and you just need like, the muscle memory sort of??? c: Good luck!! Don't give up drawing is super fun!


I hope you're right!


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## Karousever (Dec 1, 2013)

Murkrow said:


> I've never really felt comfortable drawing on paper :(
> My reason excuse is that I just feel embarrassed when I do. I can't explain why, I even feel that way when nobody's around. It's the sort of embarrassment you get when you're ten and a parent sees you drawing and says how amazing the drawing is let's put it on the fridge when you're done.
> I wouldn't draw in classes anyway because it just seems rude to the teacher.


Well I think that a great way to improve is to draw on paper anyway. I'm not an artist, but I _am_ an amateur writer, and I know the feeling of being embarrassed by what you create. Whenever I write something, I always look at it and think it is way awful, and I find it hard to even show my girlfriend, much less someone who might critique it extensively. But in the end I do, and I discover that it's usually not as bad as I think it is. _Someone_ always likes it. And that'll be the case for you too. Even if you feel embarrassed or ashamed by what you draw, I can promise you two things.

1. It's almost certainly not as bad as you think it is.

2. There is _someone_ out there who would like it anyway. 

Plus drawing on paper is great practice. So I think you should take Pathos's advice. And try to ignore your own negative feelings about what you draw. You're just too hard on yourself. Trust me, I know the feeling :)


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## Murkrow (Dec 1, 2013)

Oh no, I don't feel embarrassed because I think the drawings are bad, I feel embarrassed because I feel like someone's going to make a big deal out of the fact that I'm drawing in the first place. I can't really explain it any better than that.


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## Karousever (Dec 1, 2013)

Oh, I see. Well in that case, why would it matter? If you were really good at drawing, wouldn't that increase the chances of someone making a big deal out of it? Shouldn't you just get used to it now?


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## Spoon (Dec 15, 2013)

You're doing super good for someone who doesn't have a lot of practice! 

A few things to do when starting out is experiment a lot, so maybe try messing around with different color pallets, different brushes, or doing a lineless piece. This is really helpful for figuring out what you like best and most comfortable with as well as getting experience with other things. Another thing to try is copying different artist's work, so you get a feel of what works for them and understanding why they choose to do certain things. Try picking a variety in the pieces you choose so you get a feel for different styles. Also drawing things from life helps you get an understanding of how things work in a 3D space. I also think you might benefit if you tried drawing on a larger scale. Practicing on a regular basis is most important, though.

I really really like your Magnemite drawing! You did an extra good job with drawing the magnets, especially looking at the angles you drew them at. I also really like how you made the left screw tilt to the side, which gives it a sense of depth! Overall, it looks pretty darn cute!

On the Azumanga Daioh characters you drew from your dream, I really like how Yukari looks! I think you did a good good of expressing her anger with her clenched fist and gritted teeth! I also really like the depth on shoes! I like how you did the long strands of Nyamo's hair too!

As for Haunter, I like how you made of the fingers on the right hand overlap! I do think Haunter could benefit if you made its mouth a tad pointer, though!

Now for the Milotic you did, I'm glad you used thinner lines for the antenna! It looks good! I think your drawing could benefit if you tapered off the ends of you thick lines with a thinner one, like where Milotic's head connects to its body.

Finally, I think you're doing a fantastic job starting out! If you keep it up, I think your stuff could be really great! Keep it up and don't give up! Drawing can be super fun!! :D


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## Murkrow (Dec 16, 2013)

Thanks for replies! Haven't drawn much this week though since I have exams. There is the Milotic that Spoon mentioned that I hadn't posted here yet, though.
Next week I'll be able to post the few pictures I drew a few months ago I've been going on about.


jaketiger1116 said:


> Oh, I see. Well in that case, why would it matter? If you were really good at drawing, wouldn't that increase the chances of someone making a big deal out of it? Shouldn't you just get used to it now?


I don't know, I never said it was rational :P


Spoon said:


> A few things to do when starting out is experiment a lot, so maybe try messing around with different color pallets, different brushes, or doing a lineless piece. This is really helpful for figuring out what you like best and most comfortable with as well as getting experience with other things.


I'm not sure where to start with choosing colours. I generally just mess with the RBG wheel until I get something close to what I want. Not sure how I'd go about using different pallets.
As for brushes, I could give it a go. As you can probably tell all of the lines so far except for those antenna were done with the same size brush. (except for the Azumanga Daioh one which I did ages ago, I went over those lines with vectors, and used colour rather than black) I mainly want to concentrate on the actual shapes of things before I worry about whether the brush is the best. Although you're probably right about using thinner lines where Milotic's head meets its body.
How would I go about making something lineless? Would I use lines but remove them once I've coloured it in?



> Another thing to try is copying different artist's work, so you get a feel of what works for them and understanding why they choose to do certain things. Try picking a variety in the pieces you choose so you get a feel for different styles. Also drawing things from life helps you get an understanding of how things work in a 3D space. I also think you might benefit if you tried drawing on a larger scale. Practicing on a regular basis is most important, though.


But there are so many artists I could look at! Knowing me I'd probably gravitate towards artists who already have a similar style as it is and not learn much. I'll try though.
I think I have an okayish sense of how things work in 3D. Or at least, I know how things should look and I know when what I've done looks off. I just can't _do_ it. Perhaps it would look better if I started shading though.

Doing it on a larger scale is something I thought too, but that'd probably be difficult so long as I'm using a laptop touchpad thingy. Not that everything isn't awkward enough already.
Is it just me or are my posts 90% making excuses for why I can't do things people suggest?


> I also really like how you made the left screw tilt to the side, which gives it a sense of depth!


Unintentional :(


> On the Azumanga Daioh characters you drew from your dream, I really like how Yukari looks! I think you did a good good of expressing her anger with her clenched fist and gritted teeth!


Do you think it would benefit if I tried to draw fingers better or should I concentrate on larger details?


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## Spoon (Dec 16, 2013)

Murkrow said:


> I'm not sure where to start with choosing colours. I generally just mess with the RBG wheel until I get something close to what I want. Not sure how I'd go about using different pallets.


Oh haha, I should have been a bit more specific about that. A good place to start out is using pre-existing color palettes with a few colors. Here's few sites that you might find helpful:  [color wheel explanation]   [preexisting palettes]   [pallete maker]  

There's a lot other sites for color if you want to go searching them, especially ones for preexisting palettes. These are just the ones I've found to be most useful for me.



> How would I go about making something lineless? Would I use lines but remove them once I've coloured it in?


There's a few ways! Using lines and then removing them is one way. Other people use the color they're using for coloring for the basic shape and then block it in.



> But there are so many artists I could look at! Knowing me I'd probably gravitate towards artists who already have a similar style as it is and not learn much. I'll try though.


Yeah, most people gravitate towards people who have similar styles! That's perfectly fine. It becomes an issue when you're so reliant on a certain style that you don't develop your own is what I'm trying to get at. And getting to understand a variety of art styles certainly doesn't hurt.



> I think I have an okayish sense of how things work in 3D. Or at least, I know how things should look and I know when what I've done looks off. I just can't _do_ it.


 But practicing from real life would help that, even if the end result doesn't match up. I'm not quite sure what you're getting at.



> Perhaps it would look better if I started shading though.


Shading definitely can help with that! It's understanding how light interacts with shapes afterall.



> Doing it on a larger scale is something I thought too, but that'd probably be difficult so long as I'm using a laptop touchpad thingy. Not that everything isn't awkward enough already.


Yeah, touchpads are the worst when it comes to drawing digital. Although, you could draw with a larger brush and zoomed out canvas, zoom in and edit it.


> Unintentional :(


But it still happened!



> Do you think it would benefit if I tried to draw fingers better or should I concentrate on larger details?


Both are good options! Larger details would probably the best option, but improving anything is still a good option.


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## Murkrow (Jan 2, 2014)

I can finally post the things I did a few months ago! There were going to be four but as it turns out one was only half done so I need to finish that up now.

I decided I wanted to draw various Hoenn gym leaders with characters from the game Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale. Don't ask why, I don't know.

The first one is Recette with James (who is totally a gym leader in Hoenn)

Then there's Caillou with Norman. Caillou's clothes were a pain to do because I couldn't work out how his arm could be outstretched when his shoulders are supposed to be above the gold bit, but I'm happy with the way it came out. Although I think Norman's body looks a bit too flat. Norman has a force field because the first time I saw his B2W2 sprite I thought that his hairstyle and colour made it look like he has nano-augmentations from Deus Ex.

I had ideas for each of the Hoenn gym leaders but these are the only ones I did so far. The unfinished one is Roxanne, so that'll probably be here soon.


Also from a few months ago was a captcha comic which I don't mind being terrible because captcha comics aren't supposed to be good as it is.


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## Murkrow (Apr 3, 2014)

I just realised art threads are where it isn't really considered evil to double post!


I haven't uploaded anything in a while (so much for something every week!), the only thing really is a rubbish Piplup. One of the reasons I want to draw is because I keep getting ideas for comics and I have a go at them even though I know that's way beyond by ability. The Piplup is something that was meant to be in the background of one of them so that's why it isn't as good as it could be.


I have been drawing a bit though! Silly me just doesn't like uploading anything because I think they're too bad for that. Which kind of defeats the point of why I was uploading thing in the first place I guess!

So anyway I've been trying to draw humans a bit recently. I've been drawing faint stick men on a background layer so I can follow what I have in mind. Is that a good thing to do? It's probably good so I can know where things go and it probably keeps it from looking like their spine is bent in half but I often get proportions way off even when I do stick people so I'm not too sure.
Also from what I can tell is that people's bodies are five heads high at _least_ but when I draw people they're at most four heads. If I make them any taller or the head any smaller it starts to look terrible :(


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## Murkrow (Jul 16, 2014)

For the past few weeks I've been drawing stuff on miiverse. On the one hand, the drawings always come out as well as you'd expect, with jagged lines etc as if they were done in MS paint, but on the other hand it actually feels like drawing because I'm not using a laptop touchpad.

I actually enjoy drawing now, so they're kind of ugly to look at but I think it's better than drawing not-quite-as-ugly things far less regularly.

Does anyone have any comments? They're all on my Tumblr. Does it look like I'm getting any better? Any ways I could improve?


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## RosesBones (Jul 17, 2014)

Looking at your work over time, it's clear that you've improved a lot since you started this thread. In particular, I _really_ like both the Weedle and the Gardevoir you posted a couple weeks ago. I think your drawings of people have gotten better overall.

I'm not an artist, so don't take this as expert advice or anything, but I think it's good that you enjoy what you're doing. I think, in the end, your work will turn out better if you have fun making it, even if you're starting with a cruder tool.


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## Murkrow (Jul 19, 2014)

Thanks for the reply! I was worried nobody would ever post and I'd be doomed to talk to myself all the time.

I think there's something to be said about it being a cruder tool. I always find it easier to draw something on a tiny canvas than on a big one. I can't explain why, it just feels like what I'm doing 'fits' better. That and only being able to 'undo' the last thing you did and nothing before that.

I'm surprised you like the Weedle, it's one of the ones I didn't really take long on. As for the Gardevoir, that was actually originally going to be a Zygarde but after I wrote its name I realised I could do a Gardevoir (that isn't how I ended up doing Gardenia, though)


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